Lakewood, Ohio - Junior post Eric Black, senior guard Francisco Santiago, senior forward Derek Sloan and junior guard Kyle Berger set the tempo and Coach O'Toole is treated to strong performances off the bench from senior point guard Bryan Fisher, junior post/forward David Black, senior forward Austin Sterpka and sophomore forward Jaylin McDonald.
The Wildcats' 71-67 over the Eagles at St. Edward improves their record to 13-3 and makes them a strong candidate for the No. 1 seed at this year's demanding Solon Division I sectional/district. The Solon tournament draw and seeding take place this Sunday.
Eric Black scores 19 points and pulls down 11 rebounds, Santiago scores 10 of his 15 points in the third quarter and lays down some solid defense, and Sloan and Berger combine for 20 clutch points.
HERE IS THE FULL STORY ON THE WILDCATS' IMPRESSIVE VICTORY.
During their weekly pre-game Mass, the Saint Ignatius Wildcats and their veteran coaching staff received a very sincere and very direct message from longtime Team Chaplain, Fr. Jack Murphy.
“Make your presence felt!”
Friday night, Coach Sean O’Toole’s varsity basketball Wildcats made the short trip to St. Edward High School to face their staunch rival on the Eagles’ Coach Jim Connors Court and left one of the toughest venues in all of Ohio having made a presence that won’t soon be forgotten.
While there wasn’t much talk, if any, among the players during the week, Saint Ignatius’ faithful were well aware of the fact that it had been awhile since the basketball Wildcats swept their season series against St. Edward. According to the Wildcats’ record books, the last time a sweep over the Eagles occurred was in the winter of 2004-05.
Saint Ignatius (13-3), ranked third in this week’s Plain Dealer Top 25 area poll, established itself early, responded to every run from The PD’s second-ranked team and walked out of the gymnasium on Detroit Avenue with a hard-earned, but well-deserved 71-67 victory.
In making their presence felt, Coach O’Toole’s Wildcats, in the words of versatile senior guard and tri-captain Francisco Santiago, “played as a team, not as individuals.”
With gifted senior forward/post Derek Sloan and athletically blessed junior guard Kyle Berger combining for 13 first-quarter points, Saint Ignatius took a 19-13 lead into the second quarter. A Sloan basket off an assist from senior forward Austin Sterpka, a hustle follow by gritty senior point guard Bryan Fisher and Sterpka’s steal and driving one-hander down the lane had the ‘Cats in front, 19-7, late in the opening quarter.
St. Edward (16-5), which was also defeated by the Wildcats, 58-56, at Saint Ignatius’ Sullivan Gymnasium on January 19, ended the first quarter with six unanswered points and completed what was a 12-0 run behind the 3-point shooting of 6-foot-6 senior guard Tim Stainbrook.
With the score knotted at 19, the Wildcats answered with a two-handed slam dunk by multi-skilled 6-6 junior post Eric Black off an assist from Berger and an authoritative move to the basket by Sloan.
After Santiago dished off to 6-5 David Black, Eric’s twin brother, for two points and promising 6-6
sophomore forward Jaylin McDonald buried a 3-pointer, Saint Ignatius held a 28-21 lead.
The Eagles, who recently defeated perennial national power Mater Dei on Coach Jim Connors Court, made another run late in the second quarter.
Following Stainbrook’s third 3-pointer, a strong move down low by junior forward Marsalis Hamilton and a lay up by junior forward Will Meyer, the score was tied at 32.
Saint Ignatius, ranked eighth in this week’s Associated Press Division I state poll, took a 34-32 lead to its locker room at halftime after Santiago delivered his first basket of the game and Sloan elevated to make a crowd-pleasing block.
“We just had to come out and do our own thing,” said Eric Black, who described the atmosphere at St. Edward as a great place to play. “We played within ourselves and everyone stepped up and played their roles.
“There’s pressure, but there really is no difference between me starting and coming off the bench,” Eric continued after he produced an impressive double-double of 19 points and 11 rebounds in the starting role for All-District senior post Alec Papesch, who is sidelined with a broken wrist. “When ‘Pap’ went down, I knew I had to step up. But it was nothing I couldn’t handle. The fourth quarter was a little shaky with a few turnovers here and there. But in the end we made plays when we needed to make them and we made our foul shots when we needed to.”
The third quarter was another roller-coaster of emotion and momentum, as after two free throws by Sloan and a fall-away jumper high off the glass by Santiago, Saint Ignatius held a seven-point advantage.
St. Edward answered with a basket, but another strong move by Santiago, a free throw by Berger and a lay up by Sloan off a Santiago assist had the Wildcats in front by 10 points with 4 minutes and 41 seconds remaining in the third quarter.
Eric Black made another impressive move down low that slowed a mini spurt by the Eagles and after his brother David came down with a strong defensive rebound, was fouled and hit both free throws, Coach O’Toole’s team was back in front by 10 points with 1:27 left in the third quarter.
“Watching him grow from this year to last year, I’m afraid of what his ceiling is,” Coach O’Toole said of Eric Black. “First of all, he’s as coachable a kid as you can get. You talk about player control, he’s so under control. Eric is a perimeter scorer, he finishes around the rim, he’s strong, he’s long, he’s smart and he’s unselfish. And when Pappy (Papesch) comes back, we just get deeper, stronger and better.”
Stainbrook, who led all scorers with 21 points, including four 3-pointers, came up with a three-point play off a relentless drive to the basket, but Fisher, a mainstay at free safety for the Wildcats’ outstanding football program this past fall, answered with an ice-in-his-veins 3-pointer.
Leading by five points entering the final eight minutes, Saint Ignatius rode an Eric Black lay up off a Sloan assist, two free throws by Sterpka and a put back by Eric Black to a nine-point lead.
St. Edward, which now trails its all-time series with Saint Ignatius, 50-36, responded with a 3-pointer off the dribble by standout 6-4 junior guard Tony Vuyancih, only to watch Eric Black strike again down low and Eric
Black hit two clutch free throws with 2:39 left to play.
The Wildcats were 24-of-33 from the free-throw line and the Eagles hit on 12 of 16 shots from the charity stripe.
Along with the outstanding play of Eric Black, Coach O’Toole couldn’t say enough about the endless stamina of Santiago and the excellent defensive job “Cisco” did while being assigned to chase his cousin, the
ever-dangerous Vuyancih, all night.
The Wildcats, who are scheduled to host Max S. Hayes in a varsity only match up tonight (Saturday) at 6:30 in Sullivan Gym, offset a smooth baseline jumper by St. Edward’s highly touted 6-6 sophomore Kipper
Nichols and a 3-pointer by Hamilton with timely free throw-shooting by Sterpka and Santiago.
With the undying support of Saint Ignatius’ student body section being heard up and down Detroit Avenue’s Eagles Nest, Coach O’Toole’s ‘Cats were not only true to Fr. Murphy’s words, but also gave their biggest fan, passionate and basketball savvy senior Team Manager Patrick Gibbons, the 18th Birthday present he had dreamed about.
NOTE: Paddy White '14, Pat McGuire '14 and Liam Garven '15 will handle the call on tomorrow night’s Max S. Hayes game over the SIBN, while John, “I’ll sing my heart out in Columbus and still get back in time for the Wildcats-Eagles encounter,” Fanta turns his attention to Saturday’s Baron Cup I semifinal between the Ice Cats and University School. The puck drops at 5:30 in the Brooklyn Ice Arena.
JV WILDCATS ARE DEFEATED BY ST. EDWARD'S JAYVEES, 57-47, AS THE TEAMS SPLIT THEIR REGULAR SEASON MATCHUPS.
The Wildcats' junior varsity lost for just the third time in 16 games. Coach Larry Arthur's team was back in action for the first time since Jan. 28.
The Wildcats trailed, 22-18, at halftime despite a breakaway slam dunk by sophomore post Mikal Outcalt and some sound defense by Mikal down the stretch in the second quarter.
It was the third quarter that told the tale, however, as St. Edward outscored Saint Ignatius 25-14, and took a 15-point lead into the final seven minutes (JV quarters are 7 minutes).
The third quarter did, however, include a basket in transition by Outcalt that saw him go high in the air to control a pass and, in an exceptional display of balance and body control, lay the ball in the basket as he was falling out of bounds while still in the air. Mikal is also a standout goalie for coach Mike McLaughlin's state and nationally acclaimed soccer program.
A spinning scoop shot by Outcalt, a strong driving one-hander off the glass by sophomore forward Dre'Mont Jones and two free throws by sophomore guard/forward Dylan Nieto helped the Wildcats make it an eight-point game with 3 minutes and 49 seconds remaining. However, the Eagles sealed the deal with their offensive rebounding and free-throw shooting.
St. Edward hit 20 2-point shots, one 3-pointer and was 14-of-24 from the free-throw line. Saint Ignatius, which was led by Outcalt and gifted freshman guard Deven Stover with 13 and 10 points, respectively, made 16 2-pointers, two 3-pointers and was 9-of-16 from the charity stripe.